The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread

This is a discussion on The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread within Motorbikes, part of the BHP India category; Ashok, how are you going to operate that cap moving 70-80 kmph on the highway?...

No. I have not faced this soft gear shift till now. the gear shift has always been definite and clunky (2nd and 3rd gear) with a thud. If you have concerns check with the service center guy or check out some other 390 and see if your gearshift is different in feel from other 390s.

Thanks ashkamath. I checked with the service guys and they said its because of the chain slacking. They are asking me to give my 390 for service early. (27 days-650kms old) Planing to give it for service on friday morning. Hope it gets resolved along with the oil leaks.

man_of_steel, Please call me Ashok. yup, my Viaterra Hydration pack bite valve is front facing, but then it is simple. take a used / discarded white board marker cap, use it as a cap for the bite valve. the following pics should make it clear. or as Sridhu mentioned, there will be a small pouch on the other (across) strap where you can snugly fit in the bite valve.( again I discovered it after Sridhu's post )

Ashok, the pouch was indeed a good feature. But unfortunately, my B-Twin has no pouch like that. But I will stick it into the jacket like Doc has suggested. BTW, are you coming to MMSC this weekend?

Thanks ashkamath. I checked with the service guys and they said its because of the chain slacking. They are asking me to give my 390 for service early. (27 days-650kms old) Planing to give it for service on friday morning. Hope it gets resolved along with the oil leaks.

These oil leaks I am hearing of a lot off late guys (here and elsewhere as well). What could be the reason? We never heard of the same on the 200s (at least not to the same extent). Mine is the oldest 200 out there, and its absolutely clean and bone dry - and she's never been babied from day 1.

Could it be a more stressed engine? Laxing QC? Increasing Indian content (gaskets, casings, machining)? Change in vendor?

Or a design element to make the ton of Bulleteers migrating over feel warm and cosily at home???? ............ (tongue firmly in cheek, where is Parrys when we need him!)

Guys it happened again ! But this time i had a full tank and was coming down a flyover. The engine stalled and i had to take it to the side.

@90BHP I have been facing similar problem since few days but it occurs only when on a downward inclination, idling rpm or coming to a stop & when the radiator fans switches ON (the engine stalls and the bike wont crank no matter how much I try)

Need to do a complete electrical reset disable the engine using the engine kill switch, turn off IGN wait for a while turn ON IGN/engine kill switch and the bike cranks immediately. Only difference is in my case the MIL starts blinking in a definite pattern and the code was 15 in this case (one long followed by five quick blink). Called the SVC and the corresponding error was something related to the fuel pump is shorted to ground, will get it checked and post what was done to fix this problem.

P.S I own a D200 and this problem has started only after a faulty roll-over sensor was replaced recently.

These oil leaks I am hearing of a lot off late guys (here and elsewhere as well). What could be the reason? We never heard of the same on the 200s (at least not to the same extent). Mine is the oldest 200 out there, and its absolutely clean and bone dry - and she's never been babied from day 1.

Could it be a more stressed engine? Laxing QC? Increasing Indian content (gaskets, casings, machining)? Change in vendor?

Its because of the gaskets and the casing is what I heard from the service engineer. I have owned more than 5 motorcycles so far and never need to take care of anyone of them as an infant. But the 390 demands it

But the oil does not seep out much. I only noticed it when I rode over a dusty path and checked why so much dust accumulated on the engine. This is when I found the leak. Cleaned up and did the same patch again just to be sure!

Fingers crossed. Will update on the issue and the fix after the service.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho

Or a design element to make the ton of Bulleteers migrating over feel warm and cosily at home???? ............ (tongue firmly in cheek, where is Parrys when we need him!)

Only difference is in my case the MIL starts blinking in a definite pattern and the code was 15 in this case (one long followed by five quick blink).

You have a very technical mother-in-law

I think we are triangulating on the problem here. Touch wood, I have not experienced any of the major problems that people have highlighted here - leak, stoppage & the like. But then, I am a fairly light user.

Its because of the gaskets and the casing is what I heard from the service engineer. I have owned more than 5 motorcycles so far and never need to take care of anyone of them as an infant. But the 390 demands it

But the oil does not seep out much. I only noticed it when I rode over a dusty path and checked why so much dust accumulated on the engine. This is when I found the leak. Cleaned up and did the same patch again just to be sure!

Fingers crossed. Will update on the issue and the fix after the service.

If this is your first service, then it could be (and probably is) a simple issue of re-torquing all the head bolts. Pretty standard on all big thumpers beause of the vibes. Nothing to do with faulty casings or gaskets or QC issues as thought. What you are describing is what is classically called a weep, not a leak. Re-torquing all head bolts to the correct specs will cure it.

What you are describing is what is classically called a weep, not a leak. Re-torquing all head bolts to the correct specs will cure it.

After owning a bull these weeps are sweet signs of engine getting the oil in the first place. The most difficult part is to judge the amount of oil in the engine. I always worry if i am running low on oil. A habit from bull. I always carry a 200ml 20-50w when i ride my bull. THe more i thrash i just have to feed it more.

Can i say bull owners having a KTM feel these niggles are nothing to worry about and hence not even bothered to look for signs.

I mean, the clunky gears, the oil weeps, loose chains and noises.. I guess we never understood what a silent smooth bike is all these years having rode a bull hearing the thump silence the other noisy components

After owning a bull these weeps are sweet signs of engine getting the oil in the first place. The most difficult part is to judge the amount of oil in the engine. I always worry if i am running low on oil. A habit from bull. I always carry a 200ml 20-50w when i ride my bull. THe more i thrash i just have to feed it more.

Can i say bull owners having a KTM feel these niggles are nothing to worry about and hence not even bothered to look for signs.

I mean, the clunky gears, the oil weeps, loose chains and noises.. I guess we never understood what a silent smooth bike is all these years having rode a bull hearing the thump silence the other noisy components

Even with the sound of the Bullet's exhaust, you will clearly hear piston slap and valve train and cam lash noises. One added incentive to wear a helmet is that the Bull sounds so much better to the rider when he's wearing one.

That said, the 390 is not a silent smooth bike either, not when its compare to its smaller sibling, the 200 (compared to the Bullet, anything is smooth and silent - even the tractors Eicher also makes ).

Can i say bull owners having a KTM feel these niggles are nothing to worry about and hence not even bothered to look for signs.

I mean, the clunky gears, the oil weeps, loose chains and noises.. I guess we never understood what a silent smooth bike is all these years having rode a bull hearing the thump silence the other noisy components

Very well second that. Coming from the RE family, these small small niggles of the 390 are not yet registered in my mind as 'issues'. As for me, my trust on the bike is increasing after each weekend rides. For me, it is turning out to be a fill it-shut it-forget it bike. Best example, I am doing more and more of my beloved solo rides with no second thoughts.

PS: I always had to think twice before doing solo on my ex-TBTS because of my experiences with it. Always I used to drag atleast one of my friends into a ride.

For me, it is turning out to be a fill it-shut it-forget it bike. Best example, I am doing more and more of my beloved solo rides with no second thoughts.

PS: I always had to think twice before doing solo on my ex-TBTS because of my experiences with it. Always I used to drag atleast one of my friends into a ride.

This is definitely one of the biggest attractions of the Duke over the Bullet for me as well. I like the fact that it can (and does) remain under garage covers for a long period of time, and I can simply take the covers off, dust her down, start her up, thumb the starter, check the number of fuel bars to see if and where I need to hit a fuel pump, ride to the tyre guy to get the air pressure checked, and can be off on a ride, no tension.

On a Bullet, even relatively short 300-500 km rides will see you hit the mechnic's shop for a once over and a half dozen small things that need to be tended to, tighten this, adjust that, clean this, change that, before you take her home to tank up the night before and can actually sleep peacefully knowing you have a bike ready for the next morning.

And invariably when you come back from the ride, the bike feels less than what it was when you left, so much so that for a few days or a week at least you let her rest and don't want to ride her again. Then you finally get around to getting her washed and again hit the mechanic just to make sure everything is ok and do the entire check, tighten, adjust, tune, replace thing again.

There is no denying the fact that the 500 is way more intense in terms of the attention she nees compared to my Duke. But to be fair, she is now 12 years old, while my Duke is just 2. When my 500 was 2, she took a lot less attention than she does now, though still not as litle as the Duke does.

On a Bullet, even relatively short 300-500 km rides will see you hit the mechnic's shop for a once over and a half dozen small things that need to be tended to, tighten this, adjust that, clean this, change that, before you take her home to tank up the night before and can actually sleep peacefully knowing you have a bike ready for the next morning.

And invariably when you come back from the ride, the bike feels less than what it was when you left, so much so that for a few days or a week at least you let her rest and don't want to ride her again. Then you finally get around to getting her washed and again hit the mechanic just to make sure everything is ok and do the entire check, tighten, adjust, tune, replace thing again.

Doc, true for the old bulls, but the new ones relatively demand less attention and can sustain much more abuse.
I feel more comfortable doing solo on my bull as i feel more in control of the system. i feel i will be able to ride out of a majority of the glitches which i can encounter on road by some jugaad or a hand from the local mechanic. ON the 390, i dont think i can even change a spark plug. So much tech is such that if something goes wrong with the electricals, there is nothing much one can do except ship it to the nearest SS. Good part was that, in general, the brand generated a lot more confidence when it comes to reliability, so less of mental load with respect to breakdowns with the 390. Not too sure on that after the recent busted front fork seal and a broken battery terminal on my 390.

Doc, true for the old bulls, but the new ones relatively demand less attention and can sustain much more abuse.
I feel more comfortable doing solo on my bull as i feel more in control of the system. i feel i will be able to ride out of a majority of the glitches which i can encounter on road by some jugaad or a hand from the local mechanic. ON the 390, i dont think i can even change a spark plug. So much tech is such that if something goes wrong with the electricals, there is nothing much one can do except ship it to the nearest SS. Good part was that, in general, the brand generated a lot more confidence when it comes to reliability, so less of mental load with respect to breakdowns with the 390. Not too sure on that after the recent busted front fork seal and a broken battery terminal on my 390.

I get what you are saying about roadside repairability and the comfort the Bull affords in that respect by its inherent simplicity and the fact that its been around forever, so ever mechanic in India at some time or the other would have had a Bullet on-job training session some time or the other in his working life.

But the Duke to me at least up until now has been flawless. Which is why I am concerned when I read of increasing niggles and issues in the newer lot 390s. I do not know if this is just in the 390s (since most everyone is only talking 390s nowadays - the 200 is essentialy forgotten) or is there in all newer lot Dukes, 390 and 200. Could someone confirm?

But the Duke to me at least up until now has been flawless. Which is why I am concerned when I read of increasing niggles and issues in the newer lot 390s. I do not know if this is just in the 390s (since most everyone is only talking 390s nowadays - the 200 is essentialy forgotten) or is there in all newer lot Dukes, 390 and 200. Could someone confirm?

Yes yes.. like you said, one of the intents before going for the 390 was fill it shut it and just ride it expectation without being bothered by small niggles. And 390 is been almost there, barring the recent niggles. busted fork seal is something which troubled many 200 as well, i was told i am the first to have that issue on 390 in Bangalore. Can happen on any bike, more so on a USD setup and indian dusty conditions. The stalling is something that needs to be looked into.

Also, i am not sure if bulls have made us over cautious. Everytime i hear something out of ordinary, for eg a buzzing / rattling sound, i want to stop and find the source and try and fix it. Else it keeps playing on my mind. On bulls these things are easier to identify, but on the 390, i ave been trying to locate the source of a buzzing sound for weeks now, without any success. Different parts starts vibrating at different frequencies, aided by resonance.. at times its the clutch lever, at times its the fuel lid key hole cap, and at times its rear brake lever connecting pin and some more unidentified ones. my bull runs much much quieter (talking of unwanted high frequency buzzs and rattles) up to 85-90kmph, compared to the 390. I guess a high revving big single would always have these. gotta get conditioned to these and ride on.